Following in the footsteps of other airlines which have announced large-scale orders for sustainable aviation fuel in recent months, the Air France-KLM group is now one of the major purchasers of SAF. This "sustainable aviation fuel" is seen as one of the major solutions for decarbonising air transport. Air France-KLM has announced the signing of two contracts, one with Finnish supplier Neste for the supply of one million tonnes of SAF from next year until 2030. The other, signed with the American company DG Fuels LLC, covers the period 2027 to 2036 and involves the supply of 600,000 tonnes. " Discussions are underway with other suppliers with a view to progressively establishing a diversified network capable of meeting sustainable fuel needs worldwide." states Air France-KLM in its press release.
Like many players in the air transport industry, Air France-KLM has set itself the objective of incorporating 10 % of SAF by 2030This is more than the 6% required by the European Union. These first contracts will contribute to this objective 3% of these 10% of incorporationemissions, avoiding 4.7 million tonnes of CO₂ over the period 2023-2036. This SAF supply is also RSB or ISCC+ certified, guaranteeing sustainability and the non-use of palm oil.
The two contracts signed with Neste and DG Fuels will above all contribute to the developing the production of sustainable aviation fuelwhich, until now, has been infinitesimal. As a result, prices are still three to four times higher than conventional paraffin. With demand growing, the SAF sector is being set up around the world, particularly in the United States, while production capacity in France is still limited. Even though Total recently announced the launch of a "zero oil" refinery at Grandpuits, in Seine-et-Marne.
While Air France-KLM is working on other sustainable solutions such as e-fuels, hydrogen and direct capture before storage of carbon in the air, the Group intends to use all these initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint, reduce its CO₂ emissions by 30 % by 2030 compared with 2019, measured per passenger/km. " Decarbonisation is the greatest challenge facing air transport. Air France-KLM is using all available levers to reduce its environmental impact: fleet renewal, eco-piloting and increased use of certified sustainable aviation fuels." said Benjamin Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Air France-KLM.
